What is Morphicon?

Morphicon is an annual furry convention located in Columbus, Ohio at a hotel that contains rooms blocked off with a special Morphicon room rate, and function space for us to host panels and other events. Morphicon is hosted at the beginning of May, but the scheduling can vary two to three weeks depending on availability of hotel space and other events that might conflict. Morphicon requires you to register to attend which does cost money, but that money goes towards renting out the hotel space, stocking hospitality, and other key expenses. Morphicon sports a relaxed atmosphere, tons of free food out of hospitality, and an all volunteer staff. Our staffers strive to be friendly, accommodating, and available if there's anything you need. Feel free to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Morphicon's attendance is in the low 300s, with small but steady growth in the past couple of years. We try to offer an easier pace from the hustle and bustle of larger conventions, and a feeling of coming home to family instead of to a large group of strangers. You'll run into the same people during the course of the convention which makes meeting new ones very easy. We also have a fully stocked hospitality suite free of charge. If you're on a tight budget it can be a great place to supplement your meals. If you're interested in what else there is to do, stop by the programming schedule page.

If you're interested in attending the convention you'll need to register. Once you've registered, you'll need to find a place to stay for the duration of Morphicon. We have a mailing list where you can ask about ride or room shares. You can find information on the hotel where Morphicon is being held at the hotel page. We recommend you register early to save yourself some money, but you can usually register online up until about 2 weeks before the convention. Once online registration is closed, you'll have to register at the convention itself.

What can I do at Morphicon?

Morphicon offers a wide range of activities for attendees. All programming offered at Morphicon is free of charge to registered attendees. Some programming (less than 10%) is adult in nature and will be clearly labeled as such. Minors are expressly forbidden from entering those panels and events, and door guards are posted to ensure that they are not allowed access.

Generally we have events called panels where a volunteer panelist runs an event for anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 hours. Some programming falls into easily defined categories such as:

SIGs (Special Interest Group) are generally a meet and greet on any number of topics. An example SIG might be a feline SIG where a large number of feline furries get together and chat.

Crafting panels are those where attendees are generally provided with material and create something during the panel. The panelists leading the panel will be an expert in the craft. Examples include a tail making workshop, foam core weapons workshop, and a pipe cleaner animal crafting workshop.

Expert panels are those where experts come in to talk about a topic and give instruction. This

Large events are those that take place and involve a great deal of convention attendees (50+). There's the fursuit parade where fursuiters walk through the Morphicon hotel and there's lots of photo opportunities, the adults only spectacle of DOOM with raunchy scripted humor in a sketch format, and a massive indoor nerf/foam weapon fight at the end of the convention. We also host an

Ongoing events are those that happen around the clock at the convention. They don't run 24/7 but they usually have long hours. The artist's alley is a first come first serve place for attending artists to sell artwork to other attendees, dealer's den is for established dealers who prepurchase spots to sell, hospitality serves food all day long, there's a seperate video gaming and board gaming room, as well as a movie room where you can catch a collection of cool furry movies.

What's furry?

Furry is a fandom based around the appreciation of anthropomorphic characters of all shapes and sizes. It's best to think of furry as a filter that can be applied to almost anything. Bugs Bunny can be considered a furry character because he exhibits a mix of human-like and animal-like qualities. He walks on two legs, is intelligent, has the general shape of a human, but his body is covered in fur, and he has distinctly rabbit physical qualities such as ears and a tail. The Redwall series could be considered a furry setting for the same reasons. The Caitian are a great example of a furry race that's been in print, animation, film, and video games.

There's no set definition on who is in, or out, of the fandom. One simply has to appreciate some aspect of furry to be considered a furry, because of this, the fandom is made up of a diverse set of people. Some are just in it for the art and only involved in a peripheral way. On the other end of the spectrum, some people consume furry art, talk with furry friends, and/or involve themselves with the fandom on a regular basis. Everyone who participates in the fandom does so in their own unique way. Sometimes they attend furry conventions like Morphicon where they can meet other furries who share the same basic interests as them.

If you're interested in learning more, checkout the WikiFur page on the subject and the Wikipedia page. They're both great resources!